Sewing-machine.



.1. D. SHAW.

SEWING MACHINE.,

APPLICATION FILED OCTJI, 1915.

Patented Apr. 15,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET ffy-2 1. D. SHAW.

SEWING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED CT.1|| |915. 1,300,496. Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

- J. D. SHAW.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLfcATioN FILED ocT.11.1915.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JUAN DIEGO SHAW, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA.

SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Appneation fried october 11, 1915. sen'al No. 55,284.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JUAN 'DIEGO SHAW, citizen of the Argentine Republic and resident of No. S7() Venezuela St., Buenos Aires, Argentina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, f which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in sewing machines and refers in particular to machines adapted to be used for sewing and embroidering and one of its main objects is to providevfor the operation of Athe machine being .changed or set for embroidering, instead of sewing, for instance, with much less trouble than heretofore and without the necessity of dismounting any part of the machine, as is to be.

done in connection with the machines actually known.

A further object of the present invention is certain improvements in the stitch plate which, without materially adding to the cost of construction of the machine, vwill render the same more durable while eliminating at the same time the troubles caused by the repeated change of parts.

The main object of the invention consists in the provision of special means for suspending the operation of the feeder which causes the fabric to travel, as it is well known that when the machine is being used for embroidering, the fabric is to be moved by hand and it is therefore indispensable to stop the operation of the said feeder.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the course of ythe present specification and will be particularly pointed out in the final claims.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and carried into practice without difficulty, it has been illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is `a diagrammatical upper view of a sewing mach-ine provided with the improvements according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an upper view, on a considerably enlarged scale, of the part of the machine vwhich contains the stitch plate with the openings for `fthe needle and the )feeder teeth.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the dottedline A-B of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a lower plan view of the machine, showing the main operating `parts of the same, as well as the particular devices for Fig. 6 is a verti-cal view, partly in section,

of the special device used to put in and out of gear the parts for transmitting motion to the feeder.

Fig. 7 is a vertical View, partly in section, of the feeder teeth in their working position when the machine is being used for sewing, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view of said feeder in its inoperative position when the machine is being used for embroidering, as will hereinafter be explained.

In all the said views, like numbers of reference indicate similar or corresponding parts.

The general construction and arrangement of sewing and embroidering machines being well known, it is deemed unnecessary to give here a detailed description of the same or of their manner of operating. This specification will therefore be restricted to the particular improvements applied to said machines in accordance with this invention, only referring to the general details of the machine when so required for the bet-ter understanding of the description, and to thisend the drawings illustrate a general construction of sewing machine, of the type wellfknown as central bobbin machine, but I desire it to be understoody that the invention may as well be applied to any other kind of sewing machine, either partially or as a whole, or as regards its substantial features only.

The ordinary stitch plate, provided with the needle hole and the orifice which allows of the passage of the feeder teeth which ing through which passes a screw 13 which when tightened, affiXes said stitch plate 12 to the work plate or table 11 of the machine, in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

The plate 12 is providedl with a series of borings or free spaces 15, of a' shape corresponding to the feeder 18, each of said borings being provided with a special hole for the passage of the needle. The said plate is also provided with a plurality of holes 17, exclusively destined for the passage of the needle. The free spaces 15 and the needle holes 16 are used only when sewing with the machine and the operation of the feeder 18 is therefore indispensable for causing the transport of the fabric, but when the niachine is being used for embroidering, the holes 17 are employed.

The free spaces 15 and the holes 16, as well as the needle passages 17, are arranged at equal vdistances from the vcenter of the stitch plate, so that they will always register with the stroke of the needle, not shown in the drawings.

The advantage which arises from the use of a plurality of needle holes in the same stitch plate will at once be recognized when considering that owing to the lateral deiections of the needle during work, caused mostly by vibrations which in practice are inavoidable, said needle will gradually .wear away the edge of the needle hole 16 or 17 (according to its use, for sewing or embroidering) until rendering the same useless. When this occurs in ordinary machines, the stitch plate 12.must be removed from the machine and replaced by a new one, whereas in the improved apparatus according to this invention, all that is to be done is to loosen the screw 13 and turn the plate thereon as on an axle until one of the holes 16 or 17, according to the use, registers with the point corresponding to thepassage of the needle. For the purpose of facilitating the movement of the stitch plate which might cling fast to the adjacent parts owing to the lubricating oil or to dirt which may have gained access to the parts, the screw 13 is surrounded at its lower part, below the stitclh plate 12, by a spring 111 which constantly tends to elevate the said plate and which of course, when the screw is loosened, will lift the plate so as to allow of the same being readily turned on its axle.

As to the accurate positioning of the holes 16 er 17 in the point of passage of the needle might give rise to difliculties and loss of time if the operation had to be effected by guess, the stitch plate 12 is provided at its outer periphery with a number of notches 194 the coincidence of each of which with a predetermined point corresponds to the registering of one of the holes 16 or 17 with the point of passage of the needle of the mac'hine. Said -predetermined point might be marked by a line or in a similar manner and the notches on the periphery of the plate 12 might alsoy be replaced by lines or other marks, but it is preferred to use notches as these latter permit of the use of a special device for mechanically determining the exact position of the needle holes 16 or 17.

Said device consists of a small rod 20, provided at one of its ends vwith a nose 21, adapted to enter into one of the notches 19 of tlhe periphery of the plate 12, the end of the said rod being arranged exactly at the point of coincidence, as stated before. A coiled spring 22'placed on the said rod 20, tends to keep the nose 21 of the rod constantly inserted in one of the notches 19. In order to withdraw the nose-21 of the rod from the notch, the rod 20 Vhas been provided, at its opposite end, at the side of the working plate 11 of the maclhine, with a button 23 which may be pulled out against the action of the spring 22, thereby allowing of the turning of the stitch plate to take place after loosening the screw 13.

After the plate has been placed in the desired position, the button 23 is released and the screw 18 is tightened, whereupon the machine is again ready for use.

Care is to be taken that when turning the plate 12, the feeder teeth 18 are to occupy their lowest position, so as not to interfere with the movement of the plate, as will be understood, and for that purpose the fly wheel 211 of the madhine is to be first turned until the Vsaid teeth 18 assume the desired position.

l/Vhen the machine is being used for sewing, rthe feeder teeth 18 are to receive their double reciprocal motion, to and fro and upward and downward, as is well known in ordinary machines, said motion being enerally realized by a double cam operated by a connection rod from the main shaft ofthe machine.

When the machine is being used for embroidering, such operation of the feeder teeth is to be suspended, as tothe contrary the teeth would impact with the lower face of the stitch plate 12 causing the wear of the teeth andthe plate, thereby shortening tlhe life of the machine and preventing its perfect operation.

As above stated, the motion of the feeder 18 is caused by double cam 25, 26 ,and the corresponding connections well known in the art, which need not be described here though the parts are shown in the accompanying l drawings, for the better illustration of the invention. 1n accordance therewith, this set of cams is freely mounted on tlhe rock shaft 27 to which motion is imparted through'28 from the aXle of the fly wheel 24 of the machine.

On the rock shaft 27 is keyed a piece 29 which when moved by the rod 31 operates the rod 30 for withdrawing the bobbin 32 at the momentV desired. For this purpose, another plate 33 is arranged at the upper face of the work plate or table of the machine, said plate 33 being aiiiXed by means of hinges or screws, in the manner shown 1n the drawings.

The part 35 is also mounted idle on the said rock shaft 27 and is provided with an annular groove 36 of convenient sectional shape, the purpose of which will be eX- plained later on. The idle piece 35 is connected by means of the spline 34 to the piece 29, so that the latter will transmit its movement to the former, that is, the rock shaft will drive the part 35, by means of the aforementioned spline 34, without interfering` with the sliding movement of the piece 35 on the shaft 27. The sliding piece 35 is provided on its face next to the cams 25-26, with a stud or pin 37, so that when said piece 35 is sliding on the shaft 27 toward the cams, the said stud 37 enters into the recess 38 of the same and thereby transmits to the cams vthe motion of the rock shaft 27, in the ordinary manner, thereby causing the operation of the feeder 18, as usual in sewing` machines.

The sliding movement of the sliding body 35 is brought about by means of a rod 39, prom'ded at one of its ends with a stud or button 40 which protrudes from the table or work plate of the machine throughl a suitable groove 41, the length of which determines the range of fno-vement of the said rod. The other end of the rod 39 is bent at 42 and enters into the groove 36 of the sliding body 35 so that to the movement of the said rod an equal amount of movement of the body 35 on the rock shaft 27 will correspond. The rod 39, the same as the rod 31, is provided with guiding supports or bearings 43, for a purpose which will be readily understood.

When the machine is te be used for embroidering, 1 first cause the disengagement of the piece 35., by pushing backward the stud or button 40, so that the cams 25-26 will be operated no more and the feeder teeth 18 will remain stationary at their lowermost position in which they will have been placed before, as has been explained.

The remaining parts of the machine do not differ from those commonly used. These parts Vmay be of any other suitable type. rlhe arrangement shown allows of the use of therod 44 for regulating the` length of the stitch as well vas of any other means of control heretofore used or which in the future may be used in connection with ordinary sewing machines.

As has already been explained, the fact w when embroidering, constitute-s a serious inconvenience and in order to eliminate the same, it is indispensable to be able to readily dismount the said support. For that purpose, the rod is made of two halves which may be assembled together by any suitable n'ieans, so as lto cause them to always remain in a predetermined position.

it will be evident that the present invention may be modified as regards the construction and arrangement of the parts described without however departing from the scope and substantial features of the invention which will be clearly pointed out in the nal claims.

Thus, for inst-ance, in lieu of using the plate l2 provided with five openings for sewing and five openings for embroidering,

a plate provided with any suitable number of holes for sewing only, or with any suitable number of holes for embroidering only, might be employed, according to whether the machine is to serve for one or the other use; in such case, if the machine only is for sewing, the device for suspending the operation of the feeder teeth might be eliminated, while when the machine only is to be used for embroidering, the entire feeding mechanism might be omitted. In the combined machines also the arrangement of said holes may vary sometimes; for instance, the holes for sewing may be placed in one series and those destined for embroidering, in anether, and the number of each kind of holes may be chosen as desired. In connection with either modification, however, the coincidence of the notchesor marks 19 on the periphery of ,the plate 12 are to be considered. Also other modifications might be introduced, as will readily occur to any person skilled in the art to which this invention belongs.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in which manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1 claim is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with a rock shaft, feeder teeth, means actuable 'to impart a double reciprocal movement to the feeder teeth, and rotary means for actuating the means last mentioned, of means for clutching and unolutching the roftary means to and from the rock shaft; substantially as described.

2. in a sewing machine, the combination with a rock Shaft, feeder teeth, and means actuable to impart a double reciprocal movement to the feeder teeth, of cams loosely mounted on the rock shaft for actuating the means last mentioned, and means for clutching and unclutching the cams to and from the rock shaft; substantially as described.

3. 1n a sewing machine, the combination with a rock shaft, feeder teeth, and means actuable to impart a double reciprocal movement to the feeder teeth, of cams loosely stud from the recess at Willgsubstantially asv mounted on the rock shaft for actuating the described. 10 means last mentioned, the Icams being se- Signed at Buenos Aires, Argentina, this cured together to rotate as one unit and said 14th day of September, A. D. 1915.

unit having a recess, a slide piece splined JUAN DIEGO SHAW. on the rock shaft, an oi'set stud on the slide Vitnesses:

piece, and a rod manually actualole to insert J. H. AINsWoRTI-I,

the stud in the recess and to Withdraw the SUTHERLAND R. HAXTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

